WEST JEFFERSON — On Saturday, April 6, all aspiring and practicing area gardeners are invited to the Ashe County Farmers Market Pavilion in West Jefferson for the High Country Seed & Plant Swap. The event features an afternoon‐long open exchange of seeds and plants, with plenty of space to gather, show what you brought, and browse the offerings of others. Beginning at 2 p.m., gardeners will be able to display their own surplus seeds and view the offerings of others on tables set up in the Farmers Market shelter and (weather permitting) adjacent outdoor areas. The Seed Swap will continue throughout the afternoon and conclude at 5 p.m.
The Ashe County Farmers Market Pavilion in West Jefferson has served as an excellent venue for recent High Country Seed Swaps. It offers participants an accessible and comfortable environment to gather and swap seeds and plants. Richard Boylan, an Area Extension Agent for Agriculture who has helped organize the regional Swap since the early 2000’s notes that “Holding the 2024 High Country Seed and Plant Swap at the Ashe County Farmers Market makes an excellent location for dividing roots and plants like comfrey, sochan, ramps, irises, bee balm, and more.”
Gardeners are encouraged to bring any surplus seeds, root divisions, bulbs, corms, cuttings, plants, and fruit scion wood they wish to share. Seed swaps operate on the honor principle that gardeners will bring what they can this year, grow what they get from this swap and other sources, then bring saved seeds from their crops to next year’s Seed Swap.
Cooperative Extension acknowledges that certain plants and seeds are valuable enough that growers may wish to formally barter them for other plants and seeds, but many growers also bring quantities for a “take what you need” free offering. Over the years, some extraordinary heirloom vegetable varieties have been shared at the Swaps. Ashe County Extension Horticulture Agent Blake Williams recognizes these contributions, saying, “There are unique cultivars of beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and other staples that do remarkably well in our region that have fallen out of catalogs, but are still saved and shared by amazing gardeners in the region.”
North Carolina Cooperative Extension sponsors the event, with support from the Ashe County Farmers Market (ACFM) which is sharing its pavilion space a week ahead of its formal Market opening date, and Ashe County Extension Master Gardener volunteers. Ashe County Extension Master Garden Coordinator Blake Williams adds that Extension Master Gardener volunteers will be on‐site with gardening information and available to answer questions, “Our volunteers are happy to help with questions about pests, cultivation, and other gardening matters during the Swap.” The Seed Swap runs on community involvement, from the many gardeners who bring heirloom seeds and plants from their gardens, to the assistance from Ashe County Extension Master Gardener volunteers who help it all happen smoothly. The more participants who bring seeds and other materials to share, the better the Swap will be. The event is free and open to all gardeners and farmers in the area. For more information, call the Ashe or Watauga Cooperative Extension centers at (336) 846‐5850 or (828) 264‐3061.
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